Will the plagiarism girl be a substitute for the preference for women?

Now it seems I really do pamper her like a cat...

It wasn't just Chika who was surprised, but also the three people who met her gaze—Aine, Sose, and Akari.

Because a strange girl wearing a crop top and a black and red cycling jersey was standing next to her.

This prompted Su Shi to step forward first, her face showing worry and doubt, as if she was afraid that Hai Ling would take Qian Nai on a high-speed drive and then lift the front wheel on the street.

No, you can't make an impression on people based on their clothes.

Even with these thoughts in mind, having a stranger standing next to China always gave Suze an uneasy feeling.

Unlike before, when she struggled alone with her mental illness, China now easily develops a strong emotional dependence on others.

In such situations, it is easy to be deceived and taken advantage of.

"Wow, what a cool outfit..."

Aine seemed to be whispering to the light, but her volume was clearly intended for the person being praised to hear.

“Hmm, her demeanor… is as calm and steady as the sound of a bass string,” Deng replied.

"what?"

Li Xi, who was sitting on the table with her chin resting on her hand, suddenly sat up.

She was already annoyed that Lena wouldn't practice properly if she wasn't given any bread, so she anxiously kept watching the bread on the cup and scooping it away bit by bit, planning to send the stray cat back to the training room as soon as the bread was finished.

Turning her head to the side, she saw Hailin and Qianna together, and her confusion and bewilderment only further disturbed her thoughts.

"Hailin? You two actually know each other..." she said, her voice filled with complicated emotions.

Hailing tilted her head slightly and raised her eyebrows.

"Are you jealous?"

"..." Li Xi fell silent, his face tightening even more, and he suddenly didn't want to hear how Hai Ling would explain.

"You've made new friends too, right? They're all band members, right?" Hailin continued, seemingly implying that she and Qianna had just met as well.

"Yes!"

Ai Yin answered for Li Xi and waved enthusiastically to Hai Ling.

"I'm the guitarist in the band!"

"Xiao Aiyin seems to be in a good mood today."

China took a few steps forward, her gaze sweeping over Rakuna.

The other person was still engrossed in enjoying their buffet and had no intention of greeting anyone. It seemed like I'd have to offer them some more food if I wanted to interact with them.

"Um...it's pretty good." Aine said somewhat awkwardly, not wanting to embarrass China.

Today's practice session didn't particularly excite Ai Yin.

Her proficiency with the piece has improved, and her coordination with the team has also increased, but she hasn't received enough positive feedback. After all, for Lixi, this only means keeping up with the training pace.

Although Su Shi and Deng both praised her progress, people always crave the approval of those who most deny them in order to truly feel at ease.

With someone as talented as Lena practicing alongside her, her pressure remained undiminished.

It was precisely because Lena said she was hungry and wanted to eat parfait halfway through her practice that Aine got a rare break, and now is indeed the time when she is in the best mood.

Moreover, Chika also came.

They also brought along someone who seemed capable of easily intimidating Li Xi.

"Xiao Su Shi, are you going to practice later?" China asked as she walked over.

"Of course we have to practice!" Li Xi answered first this time.

But then, remembering what she had done to hurt China, she changed her tone and spoke in a calmer, slightly lower voice.

"Ai-yin always says during practice that it would be great if you could guide her. Now that you're here, I'll have to trouble you..."

Li Xi suddenly paused for a moment, then quickly added.

"Ah, and the lamps too."

She thought to herself that she should have picked up the lantern first.

"Um……"

Deng clasped her hands together and nodded, a faint blush rising on her cheeks. She slowly uttered the words of comfort that she had always wanted to do but was not good at.

"China... how have you been feeling lately?"

She was unaware of China's condition, so she always thought that China was frail and that's why she was frequently hospitalized.

When I was watching Ai-on at karaoke before, I thought Chika was singing too hard, so she just sat on the sofa and didn't keep up.

This made Akari feel like China was a light and delicate leaf floating in the air, and she only wished that the wind blowing on her wouldn't be too strong.

"I've been feeling pretty good lately, today I've basically been..."

Chinatsu almost blurted out that she was in a very stable mood today, and Sue and Aine next to her held their breath, their hearts in their throats.

"call……"

Su Shi slowly exhaled, looking at Qian Nai's relaxed smile, feeling gratified that she was able to overcome the hurdle of family matters.

However, she still had some concerns.

Even though Chika was only there to observe this time, rather than to practice under pressure, she was still afraid that Chika might have a relapse due to some ideological conflict with Riki.

If it were just about giving guidance to Aine and Akari, this wouldn't have happened... Surely Ritsuki wouldn't have a conflict with Chinatsu over their different opinions on practice methods, right?

Su Shi hoped she was just overthinking things, especially since Li Xi was also paying close attention to Qian Nai's attitude.

At this moment, seeing that Lena's buffet was finally almost empty, Lixi immediately stood up and urged:

"Alright, let's continue practicing."

"Little Lenai, you can eat slower next time. Eating ice cream too fast will give you a headache," Ai-yin gently reminded her, trying to extend her rest time next time.

Lena licked a bit of cream from the corner of her lips and said calmly, "I want more."

"what?"

Lixi couldn't hold back any longer; this cup of matcha parfait was worth an hour's wages for her.

"No! We'll talk about it after we've practiced properly."

"Well……"

Lena closed her eyes, her face slumped on the table, looking listless.

It seems the matcha parfait was this guitarist's hiring fee...

China realized this in her heart.

She walked over to Lena and gently tapped her shoulder.

"Then let me treat you to another one," China asked casually. "Hailin, what would you like to eat?"

"Chocolate milkshake," Hailing replied quickly without looking at the menu.

"Huh? Eating so much isn't good for your stomach, is it?"

Lixi didn't really want Qiannai to pay the bill, feeling that it would make her feel even more indebted to her.

And she also treated Hailing to her share...

"I want to eat," Lenai said firmly, quickly raising her head.

"Ugh, I can't take it anymore, let's go practice."

Li Xi spoke sternly and strode toward the store door, slowing his pace as he passed Hai Ling.

"Do you have any performances recently?" Hailing asked at that moment.

"It's not decided yet. We need to build up some momentum first, right? And what about your side..."

Li Xi was about to ask a question, but when he looked at Qian Nai sitting next to Le Nai with a gentle expression, he stopped talking.

We just met because we share the same interests.

Hai Ling spoke softly and briefly, adding a casual reminder.

“There’s a band that’s scheduled to perform at a recent PopiPa live show, but they might not be able to make it. You could try to get a chance to appear.”

"Um……"

Lixi strolled away, and just as she was considering whether to attend the live performance, she suddenly remembered something.

She turned around sharply to confirm: "Isn't that your band?"

Chapter 147 Hailing Strategist

"So you remember me..." Hai Ling gave her a meaningful smile.

Previously, Li Xi had said that just by looking at the band names, it was impossible to know which bands Hai Ling was in, but now it seems that Li Xi is very concerned about these things.

"What happened to your band?" Lixi asked immediately.

Hailing's expression remained calm and still, showing no sign of distress, even though she had just experienced something that was very devastating for other band members.

Because there were people around who had just reunited after their bands broke up, she didn't mention the conflict that had just occurred in the band, so as not to undermine their confidence.

"Some people in the band are quite busy," Hailing said casually, trying to cover it up.

Lixi still had doubts but didn't ask any further questions. She just walked quickly toward the practice room until Deng called out, "Wait for me!" and then she slowed down.

Hailing, however, was not distracted by the band's conflict and responded quickly to the questions asked by the front desk staff.

"Would you like your chocolate milkshake iced or hot?"

"It's hot, thank you."

"I want it iced!" China raised her hand and said.

…………

A little while later, the matcha parfait and two bottles of chocolate milkshake were also made and delivered to the three people who stayed in the shop.

Lenai's hands and face remained pressed against the table, like a white Persian cat waiting for food to be sprinkled from its litter box.

When the parfait was placed on the table, she quickly grabbed the cup, picked up the spoon, lowered her head, and began to eat the ice cream piece by piece.

Seeing how fast the cat was eating, China worried that its head might get cold.

At the same time, she gazed at the back of Lena's head, where fluffy short white hair covered her head lightly like clouds, and the upturned ends shimmered softly under the light.

What fabric softener did you use?

Chika asked, her hand silently resting on Rakuna's head, as if she were irresistibly drawn to a cat's fur.

"No."

After giving a brief answer without turning her head, Lena continued to focus on enjoying her food.

"Naturally fluffy hair, I'm a little envious."

Chika rested her chin on her hand, her other hand just inches from Rakuna's head, but the other seemed unaware, or perhaps she didn't care.

A cat's reaction time is seven times faster than a human's; if she doesn't want to be petted on the head, she will leave on her own.

Chika took Aine's assessment of Rakuna as a complete wildcat into account, but she felt it was best to ask for permission before patting her head.

Suddenly, Lena felt a headache, as if a storm carrying thousands of ice spikes was raging in her mind.

"pain……"

She gripped her forehead tightly.

"I really ate something frozen..."

China said with a bit of panic, after all, she had treated Lena to the parfait and had allowed her to eat as much as she wanted.

Lena immediately grabbed the warm water next to her and took a sip, trying to neutralize the temperature, but it was so hot that she stuck out her tongue.

"...Is the water very hot?"

China gripped the cup and felt that it was a drink that most people could handle.

In short, let's deal with Lena's headache first.